How To Become A Professor: A Guide To Higher Education Careers

• Faculty: adjuncts, lecturers, and assistant, associate and full professors.
• Research staff: postdoctoral researchers and research associates, common in science fields.
• Administration: admissions, registrar, financial aid, student affairs, deans and provosts.
• Support services: libraries, IT, tutoring and career services.

Administration jobs in higher education include admissions officers, registrars, academic deans, provosts and student affairs staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says a master's degree is the typical entry-level education, a bachelor's may be enough at small colleges, and provosts and deans usually need a doctorate.

BLS says admissions and student affairs roles may not require prior administrative experience. That makes them a sensible place to look for higher education jobs with bachelor's degree entry.

You need an advanced degree, deep knowledge of one subject and proof that you can teach and do research. As for how much education to become a professor, plan on a bachelor's degree followed by a doctorate for most university posts.

BLS notes that in health specialties, art, law and education, hands-on work experience is especially important. Practitioners in those fields bring a real advantage.

It usually takes four years of college, several years of doctoral study and, in science fields, a post-doc before a first faculty job. Tenure then adds more years, so plan your finances around a long path.

If your goal is how to become a tenured professor, BLS says tenure may take up to seven years of progress through the ranks. The decision weighs your research, teaching and service to the school.

The usual answer to how to become a professor at community college is a master's degree in your subject plus teaching experience. BLS says community colleges may hire master's holders, although some prefer a PhD. Many instructors start part time and apply for full-time openings later.

• Teach at a community college with a master's degree.
• Take part-time or adjunct posts, which some four-year schools fill with master's holders.
• Use professional experience in fields where BLS says it counts most, such as health, art, law and education.
• Teach as a doctoral candidate, which some schools allow.

1. Earn a master's or doctoral degree in the subject you want to teach.
2. Gather proof of teaching skill, such as training you led or guest lectures.
3. Prepare an academic CV, a teaching statement and a sample syllabus.
4. Apply to adjunct openings at nearby colleges and contact department chairs before each term.
5. Set a job alert so new postings reach you early.

Adjunct professor pay is usually set per course, so earnings depend on how many courses you get each term. A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found part-time contingent faculty at the public colleges it reviewed earned less per course than tenure-track faculty.

What is the difference between an adjunct professor and a professor? It comes down to contract, workload and job security.

It is worth it if you want teaching experience or want to teach alongside another career. It is a hard way to earn a full living, because pay is per course and work depends on each term's schedule.

The snapshot below shows the average advertised salary in current professor postings. These figures come from job ads, not official wage statistics.

Tenured professors usually hold the associate or full professor rank, so read their pay from those rows above. Tenure, which BLS describes as a guarantee against dismissal without just cause, brings security rather than a set pay level.

Postings usually quote adjunct pay per course or per credit hour. To estimate a year, multiply the per-course rate by the courses you expect each term, then add the terms together.

It is hard, mainly because of the long training and the competition for permanent posts. BLS notes some fields have more applicants than positions, and tenure-track posts are declining as schools rely more on part-time professors.

Faculty jobs are competitive, but staff jobs in admissions, advising and student services follow an ordinary hiring process. Teaching skills carry over well, which makes advising and admissions good higher education jobs for teachers leaving K-12 schools.

The senior posts in higher education are leadership roles such as provost and academic dean, which BLS says usually require a doctorate. Compare advertised pay for senior titles below.

Entry level higher education jobs are mostly staff roles, such as admissions counselor, academic advisor, financial aid assistant and residence life coordinator. Browse entry level jobs or read our guide to entry level jobs with no experience.

Search adjunct professor jobs on Jobs Search and add your city to see openings nearby. Each result opens on the college's own posting, where you apply.